Process for producing metals.



H. S. BLAGKMORE.

PROGESS FOR PRODUCING METALS.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 24,1907.

918,269. Patented Apr. 13, 1909.

nuenfoz l Wines:

bered 699,282,

HENRY SPENCER BLAOKMORE, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK PROCESS F'ISR PRODUCING METALS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application iiled September 23, 1904, Serial no. 225,642.

September 24, 1907.

Patented April 13, 1909.

v Divided and this application filed Serial No. 394,369.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY Srnuonn BLAOKMORE, a citizen of the'United States, residing at Mount Vernon, in the county of W'estchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes'for Producing Metals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the reduction of metals, and is a division of an application filed by me September 23, 1904, Serial No. 225,642, being a species thereof, which application is a division of my original application filed April 18, 1903, Serial No. 153,329, and of which original application the present application is also a division,- and said invention includes the subject-matter revealed and claimed in Letters-Patent of the United States granted to me October 22, 1901, and numbered 685,198, and May 6, 1902, numaugmented by the action of an electric current.

My invention therefore consists in the reduction of metals by the action of carbids, acetylids, or other metal-carbon-containing compounds on inetalcontaining substances, augmented by the action of an'electric current or more specifically by a' direct or electrolytic current, which, when exercised dur-.

ing electrolysis, in conjunction with the natural aflinity of the electro-negative constituents or anion of the compound or comounds of the electrolyte for metal of the carhid, acetylid, or other metal-carbon-containing compound, comprising, or contained in,

the electrolytic electrode, resultsin a great saving with reference to time, wear and tear of apparatus, and facility in reduction, which reduction may chemical process.

'In carrying out my invention I prefer .to use the apparatus illustrated 1n the accom- V 'panying drawing, in Which Figure 1 1s atop plan view; Fig. 2, a trans Verse vertical section, and Fig. 3 longitudinal vertical section.

Referring to the several views, the letter A indicates a box or receptacle, preferably of cast iron, lined with a conductive substance B, such as'carbon. The material to be reduced is introduce into the ap aratus through the openings-E, which are c osed by the insulating covers or plugs F entering the opening in the cover X, through which opening passes the electrode be termed an electro-thermm G, comprising or containing a carbid, acetyl lid, or other metal-bar-bon-containing compound, said electrode being adapted to be employed as an anode during the process of e'lectro-chemical reduction.

In the operation of the process, I place in the receptacle a quantity of aluminium oxid and aluminium fluorid and fuse thesame by passing a current of electricity therethrough, between the carbon lining cle A, and the electrode G,

ed an electric are between the same by placing them in contact and gradually separat-. ing them, and feed the aluminium oxid and aluminium fluorid in at intervals as it fuses, and continue ,to add the mixture until the interior of the apparatus has been sufliciently filled; I then add to the molten content a small quantity of calcium chlorid to assist the fluidity of the mixture, and on continuing the current a reducing action is.

having first star tset up'between the carbid contained inthe electrode G, such as calcium carbid, and the electro-negative constituents, fiuorin and oxygen of the aluminium fiuorid and oxidsupplied thereto, whereby they are removed, the fluorin combining with the calcium of the calcium carbid and the carbon liberated separating the metallic aluminium which .accumulates in the bottom of the apparatus and is withdrawn from time to time through the tap-hole H, by removing the tap-hole plug I. The carbon oxid evolved during the reduction of the carbon of the anode G with the oxygen of the substance reduced, escapes as gas through the conduit N.

By supplying new anodes G and fresh aluminium oxid and fluorid, from time to'time, withdrawing the metal reduced and the accumulating fluorids,the process may be carried on continuously, so long as the materials are maintained in a molten condition.

The term carbid, as employed through-' out-'this specification and claims, has particuof any atomicity, be it normal carbid, acety lid, or other metal-carbon-containing compound, so long as the metal-carbon-containing compound exists in' a form capable of being utilized in accordance with the process herein set forth. A I

I may substitute any other practical oar. bid or metal-carbon-containing compound for the calcium carbid, without departing B, of the receptawith the oxygen thereof, at the same time 10c lar reference to unions of metal with carbon vision of Serial N o.

from the spirit of my invention, which also consistsin employing a metal carbid, or:

metal-carbonecontaining com ound as electrode in the electrochemica reduction. of metal from its compound or compounds, the

or it may consist wholly of the carbid, the

essential feature being that the electrode contains a carbid or metal-carbon-containing compound of some form, but no claim is; however made herein to electrodes comprisi in or containing metal'carbids, acetylirls, or 5 other metal-carbon-containing com )ounds a carbid toyield metal, to electrolysis, while i em loying an electrode containing calcium with a carbon or other binder, specifically, such composite electrodes being claimed in my application filed Au ust 31, 1907, Serial No. 390,949, which app ication is also a di- 153,329, filed April 18, 1903.

Instead of metal oxy-fluorid, or its equivalent, I may employ any other oxy-haloid, or any substance containing metal and two or more. electro-ne ativeelements, or a metal oxidpe'r 8e, soong as the electro-ne ative elements or anion will combine wit metalof the carbid, or other metal-carboncontaining compound, comprising, or contained in,the electrodeor,electrodes employed. I

.The term icompound 'used throu hout this specification and claims is 'emp oyed strictly in a chemical sense, and implies distinct chemical com ounds, binary or otherwise, containing cl emically combined elements, of which metal and carbon are essentials.

, broadly set forth in the s ,The term metal-carbon-containing compound employed herein is intended to imply and does imply a distinct chemical compound containing chemically combined elements, 'o'f which'metal and carbon are essentials, and said expression is to be interpreted to the full extent and with the full meaning of the terms relating to such compounds as ecification of the original application, file April 18, 1903, Serial No. 153,329, of which the present application is a division as before stated, as bemg substances containing metal and car- I carbon binder, said athcontaining' ametal-' oxid and a metal salt, the anion of which will j bon, either as carbid, acetylid, or other union/"it being obvious that the said metalcar'boncontaining compound employed as electrode must. be a conductor of electricity, capable of being acted upon by the anion of the electrolyte, and physically ermanent or stable in character, 11. e., not t ermally dissociated" at the temperature re uired for electrol sis when employed as-eectrolytic electro e.

the

Havin thus fully described my invention, h what I c aim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is-

' consists in exposing a substance, containing I a metal and oxlygen, capable of reacting with a carbid to yie d metal, to electrol sis, while emp bid.

2. The process of producing metal, which i consists in exposing a compound. containing metal and one or more electro-negative ele-' ments, capable of reacting with a carbid. to

1. The process of producing metal, which loying an anode containing ca cium cari yield metal, to the combined action of. an

electrode of calcium carbid and an electric current. 3. The process of producing metal, which consists in exposing a substance, containing a metal and oxygen, capable of reacting with bath containing a compound of metal with com ine with metal of said carbid.

7. Theprocess of producin metal, which consists in electrolyzing 'a mo ten bath with binder, said bath containing a metal oxid and a metal salt, the anion of which will combine with the metal of said carbid.

I 8. The process of producin metal, which consists in electrolyzing a mo ten bath with an anode comprising a metal carbid and a bindeiysaid bath containing'a com ound of metal with oxygen and fluorin, the uorinof 9. The process of producin metal, which consists in'electrolyzing a mo ten bath with an an'ode comprisin a metal carbid an'da combine with the metal ofsaid carbid.

consists 'in electrolyzing a-.-rn0 ten bath with sound of metalwithoxygen and fluorin,'the uorin of. which will combine with metal of oxy en and fluorin, the fluorin of which will an anode comprising a metal carbid and a consists in electrolyzing' a mo ten bath with an anode comprising a metal carbid, said which will combine with metal of said carbid.

- 10. The process of producin metal, which an anode'comprisin a metal carbid'anda carbon bllldel, said ath contammg a com rat ' ing compound, said bath containing a metal oxid and a metal salt, the anion of which will combine with metal of said metal-carboncontaining compound.

12. Th process of producing metal, which consists in electrolyzing a molten bath with an anode comprising a metal-'carbon-containing compound, said bath containing a compound of metal with oxygen and fluorin, the uorin of which will combine with metal of said carbon-containing-compound. 13. The process of producing metal, which consists in electrolyzinga molten bath with an anode comprising a metal-carbon-containing compound and a binder, said bath con? taining a metal oxid and a metal salt, the

anion of which will combine with metal of the metal-carbon-cuntaining compound.

14. The process oi producing metal, which consists in electrolyzmg a molten bath with an anode comprising a metal carbon'-containing compound and a binder, said bathcontaining a compound of metal with oxygen and fl'uorin, the fiuorin of which will combine with metal of said metal-carbon-containing compound.

15. The process of roducing metal, which consists in electrolyzmg a molten bath with an anode comprising a metal-carbon-containing compound and a carbon binder, said bath containing a metal oxid and a metal salt, the anion of which will combine with the metal of said metal-carbon-containing compound.

16. The process of producing metal, which consists in electrolyzmg a molten bath with an anode comprising a metal-carbon-containing compound and a carbon binder, said bath containing a compound of metal with oxygen and fluorin, the fluorin of which will combine with metal of said metal-carbon-containing compound.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY SPENCER BLACKMORE. Witnesses:

J. R. NOTTINGHA B. F. BURNS. 

